


Coke's Glare

by moomlighty



Category: GOT7, K-pop
Genre: Alcohol/Drugs, Alternate Universe, Angst, Crimes & Criminals, Cursing/Swearing, M/M, Park Jinyoung | Jr.-centric, Pining, SOME CHARACTERS ARE HIGH but no one does hard drugs!! its just weed guys.., Slow Burn, jingyeom - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 16:37:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14061036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moomlighty/pseuds/moomlighty
Summary: Jinyoung loses his job and finds himself amongst an unlikely company.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY so this is my first ever fic, and it's kind of a one-shot with the potential to become a multi-chapter fic if you guys think the story is interesting enough to continue! I DO have a plan for a further plot in future chapters considering there's not really any ship interaction JUST YET, but let me know!! 
> 
> The fic is titled after the song by Samuel Seo and Qim Isle off the Elbow EP! I basically listened to it on repeat while writing this, so if you wanna do that while you're reading, go right ahead lol.

He looked at his watch. 10:46 pm. 

The car radio buzzed and flickered through a hazy 80s hits station turned on just to break the deafening sound of his own self-contempt. He’d been sitting in his car outside the company building for hours now, he couldn’t be bothered to count how many. 

Maybe he did use to show up a minute or two or fifteen or thirty late to work and maybe he did take advantage of the bar’s happy hour that took place conveniently at the same time as his lunch break. Maybe he did come back into the office smelling faintly of beer one too many times. However, he didn’t see why that was any reason for him to be fired. He turned in all his proposals and reports on time and he’d even changed some policies for the betterment of the company. Despite what he believed was only _slightly_ reckless behavior, he was still getting the job done.

“It’s nothing personal, corporate is forcing us to make these cuts..” his manager recited. “If it were up to me you’d stay..”  
The same monotone speech he was sure that manager had made hundreds of times before. If it was nothing personal why was he the only one being fired? If he wanted him to stay so bad why hadn’t he instead fired that loudmouth intern on the 3rd floor who always seemed to “forget” his papers during the company conferences?

He brought his head down to rest on the steering wheel and heaved an exasperated sigh. He apologized quietly under his breath to the kid. He’d been that kid at one point. Making silly airhead mistakes but excited for the prospect of furthering his career. 

A rapt knock sounded against the glass of his window. 

“Mr. Park… It’s well past after-hours… I’m gonna have to ask you to leave…”

Jinyoung turned his head just enough to see the company’s stocky night security guard peering through the slight tint of his window. The guard always had a friendly expression on his face, no matter how serious that man tried to be. Silently, he picked his head up and turned the ignition of his car implying his acknowledgment of the guard’s request. 

“I’ll see you around, Mr. Park!” the night guard called out as he watched Jinyoung pull out of the parking lot. Jinyoung rolled down the window and waved a taciturn goodbye in response. _They could have fired him_ , he thought sourly to himself.

He looked at his watch. 11:58 pm.

After getting onto the nearest highway and driving, just driving, to wherever that highway led and getting off at whatever exit he decided looked the least conspicuous, he now sat in his car staring up through his front window at a fading neon sign that read J_Y’S DINER. Now, one could clearly see that the missing letter _A_ ’s light had died out, but Jinyoung couldn’t help but feel as if some higher power was mocking him. Putting the abbreviation of his first name on some greasy spoon in the middle of— he looked around. A dimly lit gas station about what looked to be at least a mile to the left of the joint and a half-demolished and clearly abandoned mall just past that— 

Nowhere. A diner named Jinyoung in the middle of Nowhere. 

Slamming the car door behind him, he felt compelled to see what other slaps in the face the strange song of fate could lay out for him. He turned to lock the door but decided against it. Destiny or whatever could take that too for all he cared.

Welcomed in with the muted jangle of the bell attached to the heavy glass door, Jinyoung was immediately greeted by harsh fluorescent white-blue light accompanied by a symphony of _bzzzzz-bzzzts_ and _clink clink-clinks_ that struggled to keep those lights running through their last breaths. The surrounding decor befitting exactly what one would consider a retro diner with the tacky tile flooring and vibrant colors, and a stereotypically on-brand jukebox looming in the far corner. An equally fitting thrifty fashion clad dark mullet-headed waiter behind the metallic counters served a burnt— Jinyoung could tell by the smell— cup of coffee to a half-asleep patron he couldn’t quite distinguish the features of slouched over the counter.

Jinyoung tread warily into the diner as if embarrassed to disturb the sanctity of the sizzling frozen patties and the stale smell of room temperature french fries and sat carefully into the nearest booth seat facing the door. He pressed his right cheek against the cold glass of the window and gazed idly out at his lone car and the faraway speeding highway lights acting as a colorful background of life against the stillness of his vehicle.

A silver voice broke his miserable peace.

“What can I getcha, bud?” 

Jinyoung broke his gaze out the window and turned to the dark mullet now standing at the end of his booth, a pen held against a tiny notebook with only a few pages ripped out of it. Wide shoulders and firmly grounded, he could see that the waiter was around his age, young but matured. However, Jinyoung couldn’t quite decipher the young man’s expression, his squinted eyes and naturally furrowed brows gave him an air of fatherly concern mixed with teenagerly annoyance. The two small moles above his left eye resembling faintly a piercing and his sharpened jawline giving the waiter a punkish impression as well, fitting the entire throwback scene this entire building seemed to paint for him. 

“Uh... I’ll just..” Jinyoung hadn’t even taken a glance at the menu and didn’t feel like actually choosing a meal. He wasn’t too hungry after the events of the day. Destiny took his appetite too, it seemed. 

“Just a beer..” Jinyoung muttered at the waiter.

The waiter slapped the notepad shut without writing anything and tucked the pen behind his heavily pierced ear. Jinyoung watched as he strolled over behind the counter Jinyoung had initially spotted him at, opened what Jinyoung assumed was a miniature bar fridge hidden under the counter, and set a glass bottle on the bar in front of him. He then popped the cap of the bottle off with the bottle opener he had grabbed with the beer.

The waiter came back and set the cold beer in front of Jinyoung. 

“Anything else?” 

Jinyoung shook his head and reached for the bottle in front of him. The waiter had started to make his retreat back to his post behind the counter.

“Ah, wait..” 

The waiter looked back with a raised eyebrow.

“You should fix your sign… The light for the letter A died out..”

The waiter kept his eyebrow raised and looked Jinyoung up and down. He then turned back around and Jinyoung could spot just the slightest trace of an amused smirk on the waiter’s face.

“Enjoy your drink, bud.” 

He then took his position back behind the counter and proceeded to wipe them down. Jinyoung could swear he could hear a slight chuckle come from under the man’s breath.

Before Jinyoung could even begin to decode the nuances of that conversation, the jangle of the bell sounded throughout the diner again, breaking the tasteless silence, announcing the arrival of new company. Bursting through the door were two young men, both tripping over their own and each other’s feet giggling at absolutely nothing and everything all at once.

Jinyoung looked out through the window, his car still sat alone in the desolate lot. Had these two kids walked here? He looked back to observe them.

They moved slowly, sluggish, but their giggles were full of life and color. At first, Jinyoung dismissed the presence of the two boys to be just some overzealous early 20-year-olds enjoying their summer… out here… in the middle of Nowhere?

It wasn’t until they walked past Jinyoung’s booth to awaken the tucked away jukebox, placing coins into the machine— _it really is old-fashioned in here_ , Jinyoung thought— bringing the once still and unstirring air of the eatery to bubbling life as instrumental synthetics echoed throughout the building, that Jinyoung had caught a better look— Jinyoung wrinkled his nose, and smell, he thought— of the two visitors.

A trail smelling strongly of scorched earth lazily masked with a spritz of cheap cologne that only managed to accentuate the smokey scent followed these two like a shadow. No wonder they didn’t drive. There was no way they were fit to.

After reviving the jukebox which Jinyoung noticed worked much better than he imagined it would, the two sauntered back to the counter, sitting adjacent to the slumped man who was evidently now in a light slumber as Jinyoung watched his back slowly rising... and falling... and rising... and falling. 

The waiter stood before the two youths. His brow clearly furrowed and the corner of his mouth turned up in obvious annoyance.

“How many times have I told you, two shitheads, I don’t care what you do outside of here, but don’t come in here smelling like…” The waiter furrowed his brow even deeper and raised an exasperated hand at the both of them “... _that_.”

“Awww… c’mon Jay… It’s not that big of a deal… Like, who really cares…”

The boy that replied was tanned and scrawny, not incredibly tall, but long. Shaggy soot-black hair that reached just above his eyelashes. His entire demeanor reminded Jinyoung of a serpent… Slinky and sly and sneaky, almost like one could see that he was up to no good, an impish grin splitting his face, and a boyish mischievousness surrounding him. 

“I care! Customers come in here!” 

The waiter’s— or really the owner’s, as Jinyoung discovered— claim was met immediately with a roarous chorus of gut-splitting giggles and stomping feet and hands slapping thighs.

The waiter rolled his eyes and pushed through the kitchen door, allowing it swing shut behind him.

One of the laughs had taken Jinyoung’s complete attention, a squeaky twinkle coming from the taller boy. More fit in comparison, and much fairer in complexion, and a fluffy blonde mop on his head, this boy threw his head back in sincere cackles. Jinyoung couldn't help noticing the way his jaw moved up and down slightly as he laughed. Long, long, mile-long legs stretched in front of the boy as he clutched his stomach in laughter. Unlike the other boy, there was no devilish undertone to his disposition. He instead emanated a very light and carefree charm almost as if there was a sunny halo surrounding him and his childish chuckles.

With tears in their eyes, the two settled down to a quiet snicker or two under their breaths. After completely settling down, the tanned boy got up from his seat to the right of the blonde boy. He made his way around to the left of the slouched man. 

He watched the slinky body lean down close to the slouched man’s ear, Jinyoung too far away to hear what was being whispered. The man suddenly made a slow shuffle of movement. He watched as the man continued to shuffle and rustle, stirring awake, head still resting on the counter.

Suddenly a nasally, yet somewhat deep, voice came from the slump.

“You’re late.”

“But! We’re here!” the serpent boy replied, now standing upright.

The man turned his head slightly towards him, head still stuck to the bar counter as if glued to it.

“You’re high?”

“Just a couple bowls, man, it’s whatever. I still know what I’m _doing_.”

“How many times have I fucking told you... “

“Chill! I just said! I’m still _functioning_ or whatever!”

The snakey kid almost missed the seat as he tried to sit down, tripping slightly and catching himself just before he fell flat onto the cold tile floor. This, in turn, caused a suppressed tinkley giggle from the cherubic blonde companion as he bit hard on his hand to fight the urge to laugh at his friend while he was being scolded. 

The man sighed as he fully sat up now, revealing a smaller stature than Jinyoung expected and a blindingly platinum head of hair. He was sitting with his back to Jinyoung, so there was no way to see his face, but judging by what he’d heard and seen so far, this man can’t have been too old… In fact, he could just be in his mid-20s, no more than a year or two older than Jinyoung himself. 

Abruptly, the kitchen door swung back open to invite the knit-brow no-nonsense waiter back into the scene. This time he was holding a tall chocolate milkshake and a plate of fries. He set the milkshake on the counter, and slid it in the direction of the fluffy-headed friend, and set the plate of fries near where the snakey kid stood. 

The waiter raised his eyebrows at the once-slumped man.

“These kids causin’ you trouble?” he joked.

“Too much.” The platinum blonde head responded.

“Now that I have you all here,” he continued “One of my men dropped out.”

All three surrounding bodies froze. The snake boy stopped his crazed inhalation of the french fries, the mouth of the flaxen-haired boy agape around his milkshake straw in shock, the waiter putting his rhythmic circular cleaning motions to a halt.

“The fuck..?” the snake boy squinted his eyes at the speaker. “What the fuck is _that_ supposed to mean..?” he hissed.

“It means exactly what I said, Bam.” He picked up a fry from the plate, “And talk to me like that again and you’re gonna wish you dropped out too.” 

The serpent boy took the message and slinked back to his original position.

The waiter heaved a deeply agitated sigh and ran his hand through his dark hair, traveling all the way down to the back of his neck, and letting it rest there.

A new voice broke the heavy silence of the trio.

“Well… What are we gonna do…?”

Jinyoung’s eyes snapped to the owner of the voice. The long-legged boy’s body was now fully facing the platinum blonde man, leaving his chocolate milkshake forgotten in its spot on the counter. 

Jinyoung realized this was the first time he’d heard the boy actually speak. It was just as twinkly as his laugh, an uncharacteristically high pitched voice compared to the size of him, but it didn’t have the underlying tone of timidity high-pitched voices tend to have. His voice was rich… yet light and feathery. A soft glow just seemed to emanate from this boy’s whole being.

The man turned slightly to face the innocently distraught look on the fluffy boy’s face. He sighed to himself softly, clearly showing a more sympathetic side for this kid over the other. 

“Listen, Yug… I don’t know yet… We’re still looking for someone else and I-”

“I need the money, Mark… We need the money…” The feathery voice now strained with nerves, his long arm outstretched to the waiter and his snake friend, signaling the meaning behind his usage of “ _we_.” The serpent boy’s hands now massaging his own temples in obvious frustration, and the waiter pacing slowly behind the counter, his brows furrowed more than Jinyoung thought they could even possibly furrow.

He looked at his watch. 1:18 am. 

Jinyoung’s beer had been sipped once or twice at most through the entirety of his time at the diner. He broke his attention from the scene playing in front of him, and once again gazed through the window framing his lonely silver station wagon he had gotten at half-price from a family member. Jinyoung took a gulp of his barely touched beer. He surveyed the surrounding desolate lot with faded white lines streaking the cracked asphalt where parking spaces used to be indicated. He took another gulp of his beer. The flickering glow of the neon sign he had initially happened upon cast a ghostly haze over this entire out-the-window painting.

“I’ll do it.”

Four faces slowly turned in the direction of the booth.

“... _You_?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!!! i got stuck like halfway through and then got caught up with midterms and I promise you all I'm already working on the next chapter.... I'm so sorry ;-; ....anyways I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!! **DISCLAIMER:** Some people have expressed concern about the usage of drugs in this fic _PLEASE DO NOT WORRY THERE WILL BE NO USE OR MENTION OF ANY HARD DRUGS AT ALL THROUGH THE ENTIRETY OF THE WHOLE FIC!!!!!_ the furthest that's ever mentioned would be the weed/marijuana mentions as tagged on the fic! (another small note i changed my username bc i didnt like the other one lol ^^"")
> 
> ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: Some of you may have noticed that I have a second pseud with another fic in progress! That's my friend! We decided to share the account since getting a new account takes so long, so please support her fic and (hopefully!) more fics to come!!!! Thank you!!

“... _You_?”

Jinyoung could feel the tip of his ears warm up at the sudden spotlight on him.

All eight eyes boring into him, Jinyoung’s eyes darted between all the faces. As he scanned between them, he finally was able to match the stark blonde man’s voice to a face. A long face sitting atop an even longer neck, his face was accented with sharp features. Undoubtedly handsome, his sharp nose shot straight down from the middle of his face to point to a small pair of pouty lips. Despite the distinguishable features, the man’s expression was quite the opposite. If it weren’t for the momentary shock Jinyoung had caused the group, he would have firmly believed the man was not human. Completely free of emotion, and objectively handsome weren’t a combination that was common.

“Y-yeah…me… ” Jinyoung stammered back at the group.

He took a swig of his beer to fake an air of indifference.

The shifty snake boy’s once disappointed eyes quickly turned up with the return of his impish grin. He slipped out of his seat and slithered to where Jinyoung sat.  
“And who exactly are _you_?” he challenged.

Before he could answer that frighteningly existential question, the platinum blonde member of the gang had already gotten up out of his seat and dragged the mischievous tan boy by his collar to the side and out of his way.

Now that Jinyoung saw the slouched man at his full height… Jinyoung realized he didn’t have much of it. If Jinyoung stood up next to him, he’d surely stand at least a few centimeters taller. 

“I don’t care who you are or how you ended up here, but fine, you’re in.”

The statement was followed by a slam on the counter and an agitated waiter bolting around the bar to where the platinum blonde stood.

“Mark, are you _kidding_ me?! Are you _fucking kidding_ me? You’re just gonna let some random fucking…” The waiter looked Jinyoung up and down. “... _guy_ in on all this?”

“Yeah! What if he’s a _cop_.” The tan boy chimed in.

The two protesters continue to spit insults and accusations at both Jinyoung and the short blonde. Jinyoung himself was a bit taken aback as well. He’s in? Just like that? He didn't know what they were all up to, but he can't imagine it was something particularly open to for public recruit— or even anything _legal_ considering their concern with possible police involvement. Jinyoung wasn’t expecting the sudden approval, he’d even braced himself for a midnight diner brawl if the scenario played out that way.

“He’s not a cop,” a voice sounded through the bickering.

All turned to face the shimmeringly light voice that was now back to calmly sipping his chocolate milkshake.

“At least, if he was, not anymore,” he continued.

The tall boy had been facing Jinyoung eyeing him up and down ever since Jinyoung made that abrupt decision to get himself involved into whatever they were planning on. How could that kid possibly know that? It was true that Jinyoung _wasn’t_ a cop… but how could that kid even know th-

“Bam stole his wallet from his car, he left the door open. There’s no officer ID or badge in there. Bam you already knew that too,” he explained as if reading Jinyoung’s thoughts.

Jinyoung shot up from his seat and started patting his pockets in a frenzy. A whistle called for his attention. He looked up and saw the slinky tanned boy waving Jinyoung’s black leather wallet, his trademark face-splitting grin even wider now. When had they gone into his car? He suddenly remembered his small exchange with waiter earlier that _just had_ to be the one moment he wasn't sulkily staring out at his car and _just had_ to be just before those two walked in.

“Give him back his wallet, he can’t pay for his beer without it. I don’t care what or who he is, that beer isn’t free,” the waiter spit in the direction of both Jinyoung and the wallet thief. 

The tanned boy’s grin turned into an annoyed grimace. He rolled his eyes and tossed the wallet onto the booth table and moseyed back to the counter returning to his plate of fries. Jinyoung snatched the wallet off the table and tucked it securely into his front pocket. 

Before Jinyoung had the chance to look up to thank the waiter, he had already stormed back behind the counter and started another furious round of wiping down the counters, grumbling something about a “waste of his damn time.” Jinyoung turned to the blonde who’d admitted to snooping through his car with his snakey friend, but he too had gone back to his initial quiet sipping, turned back around to watch the irritated waiter.

A body slipped into the booth seat across from Jinyoung’s. 

“Listen, I don’t care who you are or where you came from. All of us here need the cash, and you seem to be the perfect dumbass for the job.”

Jinyoung’s head snapped to the speaker’s voice. The long-faced leader of the bunch looked even more striking up close. Jinyoung watched him as he let out a heaving sigh of exasperation helping Jinyoung understand how truly desperate this man was.

“I’m Mark… the owner of this joint is Jaebum. The two moron kids who stole your wallet are Bambam and Yugyeom. Bambam’s the tan one, Yugyeom’s the tall one.”

Jinyoung stole a glance at the tall kid in question once Mark pointed him out. Yugyeom huh…

“Anyways buddy, listen, everyone here needs the money and I’m sure you’d like a little of that as well. We’ve got… a little plan we need to pull off… let’s just say that. We don’t need too much from you, we’ll be doing all the dirty work, so don’t worry about anything like that. It’s just… All I’m going to say for now, is we just need someone who’s… willing to get out us out of a tight situation… _quickly_ …”

Jinyoung stared blankly at Mark. A getaway driver. There was no way this was legal. 

Mark opened his mouth to continue before a rapid succession of beeps came from his pocket. He halfway stood up from the booth seat to reveal a truly old-school 90’s style beeper clipped to his belt. Mark clicked the button on the top of the retro device to stop the beeping and shot a menacing— and slightly embarrassed— glare at the two kids who had just burst into a fit of side-splitting giggles at the sudden outburst of the pager. Jinyoung watched as the taller kid strained to stifle his giggles, his shoulders shaking with laughter, his arms weakly pointing at Mark. Jinyoung quickly caught himself as he slowly felt the corners of his own lips slightly turn upwards. 

“I… have to go. Listen, if you’re still interested meet us here again same time next week.”

Mark stormed out of the diner and Jinyoung’s eyes followed him as he walked out in the direction of the abandoned mall.

The laughter from the kids was gradually calming down. Jinyoung watched Jaebum pick up the now empty plate of fries and milkshake glass from in front of them.

Jinyoung took all of this as a sign of closure for the eventful night and slowly got up, patted his front pocket to reassure himself that his wallet was still in his possession, chugged the remaining half of the beer, and walked up to the counter. He slowly slid the empty bottle towards Jaebum, and took out his wallet to pay for the drink. 

“Don’t bother.”

Jinyoung looked up at the owner. Jaebum’s brow still characteristically knitted in frustration.

“But you said-”

“One beer isn’t gonna make that much of difference for this place anyway…” Jaebum muttered.

Jinyoung wasn’t sure if that was meant to be heard, but Jinyoung just muttered his thanks and slipped his wallet back into his front pocket.

He started to make his way out the door, ready for the entire chaos of the night to be over. 

“See you next week,” the owner called after him.

Jinyoung almost, _almost_ stopped in his tracks. Next week… was he really going to go through with this? He disguised his hesitance with a wave of his hand to reciprocate the farewell. 

He stepped through the door and made his way to his car still sitting idly in the vacant lot. He opened the door and slipped into the driver's seat with ease remembering the car was still unlocked from his reckless decision earlier. Just as he was turning the ignition, a rapt knock sounded against his window. Jinyoung looked up to see the snakey boy leaning in close to the window beckoning for window to be rolled down. Jinyoung slowly brought it down and noticed the tall blonde standing not too far behind.

“Hey… so… Sorry about the whole stealing your wallet thing, dude…” Bambam started.

Jinyoung fought the urge to roll his eyes, the kid clearly needed something.

“But uh… Since we caught you real quick… could you maybe drop us off somewhere? It’s just too late to call any cabs or whatever… Please? We’re really not too far away from here. I swear it’ll be quick, dude.”

Jinyoung looked between the two boys who were now sporting looks of sincerity, a complete 180 degrees from their initial mischievous and snickering behaviour. 

“Sure.. get in…” Jinyoung answered. Despite the fact that these were the same kids that stole his wallet and laughed about it, he really didn’t have the energy to weigh any pros or cons of the whole situation.

The two boys eyes brightened in relief. The lanky tan boy slithered around the car and slipped into the passenger seat, and the taller blonde sat himself in the back.

Jinyoung peeked into his rearview mirror, accidentally meeting eyes with the backseat passenger and looked quickly away. Jinyoung chose to pretend not to notice an endearingly puzzled tilt of the kid's head from his peripheral vision.

“Alright, get on the freeway and we’ll tell you how to go from there,” the shotgun passenger instructed.

Jinyoung let out a light sigh, turned the ignition, put the car into reverse and slowly backed out of his parking space. 

He looked at his watch. 3:36 am.

The entire drive on the freeway was pure quiet. Jinyoung assumed the other two were still running on their high gazing intently out of their windows at the zooming lights and speeding scenery on either side of them. They were giggly and noisy just moments ago in that diner, but after Bambam insisted on turning on a slow jam station on Jinyoung’s car radio, the car couldn't have been this silent even if Jinyoung was sitting by himself in the car.

“Take this coming exit,” Bambam muttered, breaking the silence.

Jinyoung turned on his signal and slowly merged into the lane, slowing his speed as he reached a traffic light that connected to the main street of the downtown city. 

While waiting at the light, Jinyoung let his eyes wander to the rearview mirror. The backseat passenger was still staring out the window, some type of emotion dancing behind his half-lidded, mildly drugged eyes. The lights of the traffic light and the few cars that drove by projecting technicolor shapes onto his skin. 

The light clicked green demanding the return of Jinyoung’s attention to the road.

“Keep going on this street and I’ll tell you when to take a left,” Bambam continued.

A couple lights passed, Bambam muttered “here,” and Jinyoung followed the instructions into a suburban apartment complex. It looked incredibly… average. It looked like somewhere one would expect any middle-aged couple who worked middle-class jobs with two elementary grade kids to live. Jinyoung wouldn’t be surprised if he drove out a few blocks and discovered a children’s playground or a quiet dog park. It’s not like Jinyoung had any prior expectations like as if they were from a movie about two misunderstood troublemaker kids who lived in one of two extremes— either really rich or really poor— but _this_ place was definitely 

Bambam pushed open the car door and stretched his arms and legs for a minute before calling for his friend. 

“Yug let’s go, I’m so fucking tired dude I’m not even a _little_ buzzed anymore. Once we get inside maybe we can light up ano-”

“I think I’ll go home tonight…”

Surprised confusion flashed across Bambam’s face for a split second. 

“Home..?” 

“Yeah… I’ll come back here to your place tomorrow morning but I think I wanna go there just for tonight.”

Jinyoung could swear he saw a tinge of annoyance straining Bambam’s face. However, any sign of annoyance was quickly replaced with forced nonchalance as he slammed the door and muttered a quick “ ‘Kay then, see ya” and walked to the apartment complex stairs, hands shoved into his jacket pockets. 

“Sorry to make you keep driving… It’s not far from here…” Yugyeom softly apologized in his soft childlike voice from his place in the backseat.

“No worries… uh… you can sit in the front if you want.” 

Yugyeom nodded his head and got out of his seat in the back. He meandered his way around the car to the passenger side and gently opened the door and got in.

Jinyoung suddenly felt very self aware. A wave of nausea washed over him and left as quickly as it came. The kid had been in the car with him for an hour or two now but all of a sudden Jinyoung was so anxious… Was the car was a mess? Does it smell weird in here? Is it too cold? Too hot? Too-

“What’s your name?”

Jinyoung looked at the kid. He hadn’t even realized that of all the people he met tonight no one had asked until now.

“Jinyoung… and you’re Yugyeom right? Um.. Mark told me your name when we were at the diner.”

“Yeah… most people just call me Yug, though.”

Jinyoung nodded his head. Not sure if that was just a statement or an invitation, he decided to leave it be. He turned the ignition and slowly backed his way out of the apartment complex parking. 

The two sat in mostly silence, with the occasional direction from the passenger, and the driver quietly complying. 

The end of the fifteen minute drive led the two to an expansive and extremely ornate gate surrounded with towering greenery, a luxurious form of invoking privacy for what Jinyoung knew for a fact was a community of small mansions on the other side. Rows and rows of meticulously organized wildflowers and roses flanked the driveway on either side and Jinyoung swore he could hear the bubbling of a fountain not too far away. After just having seen the regularity of the former passenger’s living quarters, _this_ is what Jinyoung considered one of two extremes.

“You can drop me off here.” 

Jinyoung set the car to park and unlocked the door to let his passenger out. 

“Thanks for the ride… and sorry again for stealing your wallet…” 

Suddenly, Yugyeom reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of a few small bills handing them to Jinyoung. 

It took Jinyoung a minute or two to process where that money came from, and why it was being handed to him before it all clicked together. He reached out to take the stolen cash back from the kid but stopped midway. He remembered Mark’s desperation in the diner and the look on this kid’s face when they talked about the need for money and how whatever scheme they had planned had a possibility for failure before Jinyoung so _courageously_ volunteered himself to their operation. 

“Keep it.”

Yugyeom’s half-lidded eyes suddenly snapped fully open to meet Jinyoung’s. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind.” Jinyoung’s last paycheck was to arrive in a few days and his new severance pay due to unemployment would start a few weeks after that.

For the first time that night Jinyoung got a full up-close look at the kid, and Jinyoung would never admit out loud the speed that his heart rate reached when the kid’s face broke into a smile wider than any valley. His grin was larger than life itself, bearing his whole top row of teeth and the pink of his gums. It pushed the apples of his cheeks so high it almost shut the kid’s eyes, but left them open _just_ enough to allow his eyes to give off a golden brown twinkle of sincerity. 

“Thank you!” he shined at Jinyoung. It was as if the sun decided to come out early on this night. 

Jinyoung couldn’t even stammer a “You’re welcome” or “No problem” let alone any type of a response. Yugyeom jumped out of the car with a slight renewed energy in his step, and made his way to the massive gate.

Jinyoung peeked at himself in the rearview mirror immediately noticing the pink blush painted across his cheeks and the beet red accents that decorated the tips of his big ears. He decided that was _enough_ for one night and quickly started up his car again before another group of kids ask him for a ride home.

“See you next week!” a shimmering voice called out after Jinyoung’s car.

He looked at his watch. 5:29 am.

Well now Jinyoung _had_ to show up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I PROMISE my next chapter will not take as long as this one did I promise, also CHAPTER 2 OF UNICO is being worked on as well for those of you who are reading that. Also, thank you all who left comments encouraging me to keep writing for this fic!!!!! you guys are so nice uwu :,3 let me know what u guys think !!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS BEEN SO LONG IM SO SORRY!!! I was traveling and swamped with homework that I just didn't get a chance to finish writing this up, BUT ITS HERE NOW and I'm already working on the next chapter! I'm back this time I promise, this chapter's pretty long to make up for lost time... Enjoy and let me know what you think!!

The next few days after the experience at the diner Jinyoung fell into a routine. He started each day by waking up in the middle of the afternoon— after that night he spent dropping off the kids to their homes, he didn’t get to his own apartment until early morning the next day. It didn’t really bother him however, it’s not like he had anywhere he needed to be in the morning anymore. He ate a breakfast of whatever his hand reached first in the fridge— the other day he literally ate a cold bowl of plain rice drizzled over with ketchup for “flavor.” Occasionally he’d have to actually remind himself to eat since his appetite hadn’t been very prevalent for the past week.

And he drank. 

He didn’t consider himself a very heavy drinker, he knew when to stop after a few drinks and he never drank so much that it would cause any memory loss or a hangover the next morning, but lately he’d been drinking every day. He only drank enough to bring that warm fuzzy feeling to fill whatever vacancy was sitting in his stomach, and throughout all of it, he thought. 

He thought about that  _ kid _ … Yugyeom.

The more he thought about him the less he made sense. How was a kid who definitely lived in a mansion in a gated area so desperate for money that he’d have to steal loose bills from Jinyoung’s wallet? And why did the kid ask Jinyoung’s name when it was right there on his ID card in that same wallet that he’d stolen? And how come a kid as innocent-seeming as him was out smoking weed and stealing wallets and getting himself into illegal midnight diner plans? Of course, Jinyoung didn’t know the kid at all— he did only meet him once and had the absolute minimum amount of dialogue with him— but Jinyoung couldn’t help finding himself  _ wanting _ to. He wanted to know how he ended up at that diner with his friend and how he met the others there and why he was so in need of money and-

He shook his head to snap out of it. Yugyeom probably forgot who Jinyoung even was by now. A curious and interesting kid like that could easily manifest himself into anyone's memories, but Jinyoung? Jinyoung wouldn’t be surprised if he really did show up to the diner a few days from now to find that the four he’d met that night had forgotten all about him already.

Jinyoung looked in the mirror that hung by the desk across from the bed he was sitting on. Black tousled hair that stuck out in every direction complemented with a hazy stubble above his lip and on his chin. He half-heartedly smoothed down his hair and sighed. Jinyoung felt boring. He let his mind wander to his first week as an intern, every day he had to remind his higher-ups of his name until they’d given up and just called him “Intern,” or when they forgot he was an intern, just “kid” would suffice. It wasn’t until maybe the fifth or sixth month there that they’d finally remembered his very common last name Park, and stuck to calling him that for the next four years that he worked there.

Four years… he worked for that place for four years. His father had helped him get that job during his last year of university before he passed away. Jinyoung wasn’t even remotely interested in any possible aspect of the company, but he was curious to see where it could potentially take him and thankful for his father’s help. Besides, it’s not like he knew what he wanted to do anyway. Jinyoung had an undecided major up until the very last second when his advisor was practically on the ground begging for Jinyoung to make a choice. Out of impulse— and lack of time— Jinyoung chose film studies. Ever since his Visual Arts class in high school, he’d piqued an interest in it, but Jinyoung knew how hard it was to get into the actual industry. He let his father pick his job for him and just rode whatever came his way. He always did. Just let anyone say whatever they wanted, do whatever they wanted. Just roll with the punches. There was no point in clashing, it would just make everything harder than it needed to be. Just roll with the punches… 

Jinyoung looked down at the drink in his hand, noticing the glass was already empty. He’d already filled the glass twice before with the cheap wine he picked up on his way home from the diner. He heaved a sigh and set the glass down next to the bed and picked up the entire bottle of wine. He put the mouth of the bottle to his lips, threw his head back, and swallowed two large gulps. Setting the bottle down, he hissed at the tangy sting of sour grape flavored alcohol that rushed down his throat. Who cares if he let loose every once in a while.

*************************************************************************************************************

Jinyoung woke up with a slight headache and the sunlight searing holes into his corneas. He pulled his blanket over his head to shield himself from the sun’s attack. He stayed like this for a minute or so, then silently gave up and threw the blankets off of him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, got up, and stretched out his stiff muscles as he walked over to shut the blinds. For the past week, he’d been waking up like this, letting himself drink too much and collapsing in his bed. He let loose one night and then found himself letting loose the next night, then the next night, then the next night… 

He looked at his watch. 4:34 pm.

Tonight he was going to go back to that diner, though. No midnight drinks tonight, he had to spend that time on the road. Besides, the small collection of wine bottles in his fridge were rapidly turning into a small collection of  _ empty _ wine bottles. 

A broken film of images from the past few night's dream played through his head. Highway lights, night sky, and clouds… but something.... strange about these clouds. Jinyoung could touch them… he remembered the sunlight peeked through the clouds giving them a golden hue and he could remember running his hands through them and remembering how he wanted so desperately to know how the clouds felt on his cheek… he wanted to rest his head in them, to sleep in them… He’d get closer and closer and closer his cheek just barely brushing the edge just before they suddenly vanish. Waking up with the disappearance of the clouds, Jinyoung’s eyes would fling open in frustration. Every night he was so close, so so close. 

Jinyoung pushed the dreamy recollections from his mind. Right now, he needed to remember how the hell he was going to find that diner again tonight.

*************************************************************************************************************

He looked at his watch. 12:56 am.

The flickering diner sign loomed over him once again. Jinyoung climbed out of his station wagon and huffed a frustrated sigh as he shut the door. It took him an extra hour of driving just to remember which highway he had gotten on and which exit to take and after one too many failed attempts, he finally got to the diner. 

Just the same as the last week he was here, the parking lot was completely deserted save for Jinyoung’s own car. He was back in the middle of nowhere.

Jinyoung pushed through the glass door, welcomed by the familiar jangle of the bell and three heads turning in his direction.

“Oh, you actually came,” the mullet-clad owner said in amused tone.

“Guess he’s not easily scared,” a snakey customer commented with a chuckle from his spot at the bar. 

“I’ll grab you a beer,” Jaebum offered with a slight smile pulling the corner his mouth. 

Jinyoung muttered a thanks and slowly walked up to the bar. He finally took notice of the missing presences in the room.

“Mark’s on his way here, he’s still working out a… job,” Jaebum hesitantly answers as if reading Jinyoung’s mind. He sets the already opened beer on top of the counter in front of Jinyoung.

Bambam didn’t comment about the whereabouts of his tall friend. Jinyoung considered asking, but decided against it. He still was barely acquainted with any of them. He took a swig of his beer and sat in silence with the other two.

Jinyoung finally noticed the there was a nervous air in the diner. Jaebum was wiping the counters more slowly and thoughtfully and Bambam’s silence and lack of… mischief… was concerning in and of itself.

Fifteen more minutes of this pure silence went by, each to their own thoughts. Jaebum wiping and wiping the whole time and Bambam fussing with a plate of fries.

Jaebum suddenly looked up at Bambam, “So… that was the last time you’d seen him?” 

Jinyoung noticed Bambam give him quick glance before looking up and answering Jaebum, “Yeah… “

Before their conversation could get any longer, the glass door swung open and the usual jangle sounded the arrival of another guest. 

“Sorry I’m late, I got caught up.” A disgruntled Mark made his way to the counter and sat himself in front of a coffee Jaebum had already prepared and set on the counter for him. Mark took a sip and looked around the diner.

“Where’s Yug?” Mark questioned, looking in Bambam’s direction.

“I don’t know.” Bambam replied curtly. 

“You two are joined at the hip, what’d you do, finally get surgically removed from each other?” Mark sniped with a chuckle.

“The last thing I heard he was at his parent’s house,” Bambam replied, still not looking up from his barely touched plate of fries.

Mark’s half-smile quickly dropped. He set down his coffee and looked straight at Bambam. 

“He’s at his fucking  _ what _ .”

“Listen, I tried to tell him not to, but he insisted for whatever reason, alright? I’m not Yug’s bodyguard, he can do what he wants.” 

As if called upon, the jangle sounded and the boy in question walked into the diner.

“Mark! Your cab was right in front of mine, but I guess you didn’t notice!” Yugyeom called out in a cheery tone.

Mark and Jaebum were quickly walking over to greet the new guest, but Bambam stayed glued to his seat, empty eyes still focused on his fries. 

“Jesus Christ, kid, is everything alright? You’re okay?” Jaebum asked like a concerned parent, Mark standing beside him looking just as worried.

Jinyoung took a long look at Yugyeom. He didn’t quite understand what all the fuss was about. He remembered Bambam’s slight defiance when Yugyeom had asked to have Jinyoung drive him to his parent’s house, but didn’t think much of it. Yugyeom was just as cheerful and glowing as he remembered… not that Jinyoung especially remembered. 

“I’m fine! I’m honestly fine! Guys, relax…” 

After a few more minutes of rapid-fire questions from the concerned duo aimed at Yugyeom, the fussing finally died down, and everyone was back in their positions by the bar. Jaebum behind the counter and Mark seated next to Bambam. Jinyoung watched Yugyeom hesitate in front of the empty seat between himself and Bambam before deciding to finally sit. Bambam still hadn’t looked up at all to greet his friend.

“Well… since we’re all here. I’ll just get started,” Mark announced “I won’t get into any specific details yet, but basically our individual roles have been decided. Yug, Bam, you two are gonna get us in, and Jay, you’re with me on the inside.” 

“Did you get the outfits or are we gonna have to improvise?” Yugyeom asked.

“I’m still working on it, but I’m sure you two will be fine even if you don’t have them.” Mark replied.

Jinyoung couldn’t help but be extremely lost. Even though this was supposed to be a meeting to go over details, this seemed like quite the opposite, everything was still shrouded in vagueness and mystery. If anything, he probably knew  _ less _ than he was supposed to.

“Now we get to your part, uh…”

Mark was now directly looking at Jinyoung, hesitating at what to address him as since there was no official introduction in their previous encounter.

“His name’s Jinyoung,” twinkled Yugyeom’s voice from amongst them.

“Right… Jinyoung, you’re going to…” Mark continued, but his voice was lost with Jinyoung’s concentration. 

Jinyoung felt a warm tinge begin to spread from the tips of his ears and across his cheeks. He remembered. Yugyeom remembered his name. Jinyoung had completely zoned out and was staring intently at the back of Yugyeom’s head. Why was he so excited that this kid remembered? It was something less than admiration but more than interest… Jinyoung couldn’t put his finger on why he was so drawn to this boy, but what was he going to do? Stop himself? Finally, he was being called by his name not just “intern” or “Park.” 

Jinyoung had completely checked out of Mark’s instructions and was now observing Yugyeom quietly. As Jinyoung’s eyes were scanning over the broadness of his shoulders and how soft his hair looked— not that Jinyoung particularly paid attention to either of those things— his eyes lingered down to Yugyeom’s arm. He was wearing an oversized sweater, and the sleeve had rolled up just a few inches above his wrist and as Jinyoung looked closer he saw the beginnings of a purplish blotch peak out just under his sleeve and just a ways above his wrist.

Before even realizing what he was doing, Jinyoung found his hand gently touching Yugyeom’s wrist where the blotch was.

Yugyeom’s head spun around as a response to Jinyoung’s involuntary touch, but Jinyoung’s eyes were still locked on the spot he was touching. When Yugyeom finally took notice of what Jinyoung was so fixated on, he snatched his hand away and tugged his sleeve over his wrist, and spun back around. 

Jinyoung stared at the back of Yugyeom’s head. What was that? A tattoo? A bruise? From where? Was he the type to get into fights? Who would even-

“Hey, are you listening? Did you get all of that? Please tell me someone did, because I’m not explaining it all again.”

Mark’s voice snapped Jinyoung’s buzzing thoughts back to reality. 

“Yeah, I’m listening. I got it.” Jinyoung responded quickly.

“Mark, by the way,” Jaebum started. Jinyoung stopped himself from loudly sighing in relief that the spotlight had moved off of him.

“We can’t keep meeting in here, it’s costing a lot to keep it open at night and as you can see, there’s not many customers that come in here to make up for that.”

Mark nodded, “Alright, we just have to meet up at someone’s place next week.” 

A quiet fell across all five of the diner occupants. Each one looking at the other expectantly.  Jinyoung sighed at the comical irony of it. Not again.

“I’ll do it.”

“Alright! We’ll meet at uh… his place… next week.” Mark quickly agreed before Jinyoung had a chance to change his mind.

Jaebum wiped his hands on his apron, Mark got up and stretched his legs, Bambam and Yugyeom stayed seated in their original positions. Jinyoung got up sensing the end of the meeting. He downed the remaining drops of his beer and slid the empty bottle towards Jaebum to dispose of it. 

“Hey,” Jaebum called to Jinyoung as he was walking away. Jinyoung turned to respond.

“Sorry about the last time you were here and I completely blew up on you… My nerves got the better of me…”

Jinyoung noticed that up close even though Jaebum’s brows were still characteristically furrowed, there was a genuine kindness in his small smile and twinkling eyes.

“No worries, I understand.” Jinyoung nodded and gave a small smile back.

As Jinyoung made his way out of the diner, he didn’t get into his car right away, and instead leaned against the door and waited. Those two were probably going to ask for a ride again.

Just as expected, the two in question walked out of the diner and towards him. Jinyoung noticed the two were walking very close together, their shoulders touching and Bambam walking just one step ahead of Yugyeom like a sort of protective barrier. Yugyeom’s eyes were shyly locked on the ground, suddenly reminding Jinyoung of their previous sudden interaction. Jinyoung felt the tips of ears starting to sear red, but thanked the heavens quietly that it was too dark for anyone to take notice of the sharp flush that took over his face.

Bambam’s eyes still filled with emptiness, he asked if they could get a ride again. Jinyoung nodded and the two climbed in, Bambam in shotgun, Yugyeom in the back. 

Jinyoung climbed in after them, shut the door, and as he was turning the ignition, he took a peek through his rearview mirror only to find two wide eyes staring directly back at him from the back seat. They locked eyes and Jinyoung froze. Jinyoung noticed small shifts in Yugyeom’s movement and observed as he nervously tugged at the sleeves of his sweater down to cover his wrists. Suddenly, the backseat passenger’s head shook from side to side discreetly as if silently pleading a very desperate and urgent “Don’t!” Jinyoung peeked at the shotgun passenger who was idly staring out of his window, unaware of the exchanges happening between Jinyoung and Yugyeom. Jinyoung pieced Yugyeom’s quiet request together and looked back into the rearview mirror to give Yugyeom a small nod of reassurance. Jinyoung focused his eyes back on the road, and started backing out of the parking lot.

He looked at his watch. 2:14 am.

This could be a really interesting drive. 


End file.
